The settlement of East Lansing began around 1847, the same year nearby Lansing was made the capital of the state of Michigan. Downtown East Lansing was an important junction of two major Native American groups: the Potawatomi and Fox.[6] By 1850, the Lansing and Howell Plank Road Company was established to connect a toll road to the Detroit and Howell Plank Road, improving travel between Detroit and Lansing, which cut right through what is now East Lansing. The toll road was finished in 1853, and included seven tollhouses between Lansing and Howell.[7]

Michigan State University was founded in 1855 and established in what is now East Lansing in 1857. For the first four decades, the students and faculty lived almost entirely on the college campus. A few commuted from Lansing, and that number increased when a streetcar line was built in the 1890s, but there were few places to live in the then-rural area immediately around the campus.

That started to change in 1887, when professors William J. Beal and Rolla C. Carpenter created Collegeville, along what is now Harrison Road and Center and Beal Streets, north of Michigan Avenue. Few faculty were attracted to the location, and the first residents were "teamsters and laborers".[8] In 1898, the College Delta subdivision (including what is now Delta Street) had the support of the college itself, which provided utilities, and several professors built homes there (one of which survives today at 243 W. Grand River Ave.).[9] Other subdivisions followed.

At that time, the post office address was "Agricultural College, Michigan". A school district encompassing the nascent community was created in 1900. In 1907, incorporation as a city was proposed under the name "College Park"; the legislature approved the charter but changed the name to "East Lansing". The first seven mayors, starting with Clinton D. Smith in 1907 and Warren Babcock in 1908, were professors or employees of the college.

The city charter in 1907 prohibited the possession, sale, or consumption of alcoholic beverages, and East Lansing was a "dry" city until voters modified the charter provision in 1968.

East Lansing and DeWitt Township entered into two 425s in 1998 and 2001, which involved nearly 1,200 acres (4.9 km2) of land. The agreement stipulates that East Lansing gains full control of the land after 33 years.

East Lansing and Bath Township entered into a 425 Agreement in June 2002 involving 1,056 acres (4.27 km2) of land. The agreement stipulates that East Lansing gains full control of the land after 100 years.

East Lansing and Meridian Township entered into a 425 in November 2002 involving 101 acres (0.41 km2) of land. The agreement stipulates that the Meridian Township residents get to decide the fate of the land after 100 years.

The city has also made use of annexation of surrounding township lands in recent years. It annexed the 66.5 acres (269,000 m2) of the Four Winds Golf Course in Meridian Township in 2001, and another 6 acres (24,000 m2) of the township in 2006. The city also annexed from DeWitt Township the land that is currently the East Lansing Soccer Complex.

The city's downtown area is centered around Grand River Avenue, a wide, tree-lined boulevard that evolved out of the 19th-century plank road that connected Lansing to Detroit. Grand River Avenue and Michigan Avenue serves as a dividing line between the Michigan State University campus and the rest of the city. The street is lined with many college-oriented businesses, such as bars, tanning salons, coffee shops, head shops, restaurants (many dine al fresco) and bookstores. Immediately north of downtown are predominantly student neighborhoods. Further north is the residential part of the city. In the northernmost tier of the city are several new housing subdivisions and student-oriented apartment complexes. These new developments are far from the university, but their lower property tax rates allow them to offer students more amenities.

East Lansing has more than 25 neighborhoods, many of which have neighborhood associations that sponsor social events, attend to neighborhood issues, and often advocate for neighborhood interests in meetings of the City Council and city commissions.[10]

A section of the city has been designated a Historic District, and a Historic District Commission has been established by the City Council.[11] In addition, many landmark structures in the older neighborhoods have been identified within a Landmark Structures Historic District of the Historic Preservation Code.[12]

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 48,579 people, 14,774 households, and 4,811 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,574.6 inhabitants per square mile (1,380.2/km2). There were 15,787 housing units at an average density of 1,161.7 per square mile (448.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.4% White, 6.8% African American, 0.3% Native American, 10.6% Asian, 1.0% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.4% of the population.

There were 14,774 households of which 13.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 24.7% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 67.4% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.80.

The median age in the city was 21.6 years. 7.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 62.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 14.6% were from 25 to 44; 9.2% were from 45 to 64; and 6.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

There were 14,390 households out of which 16.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.6% were married couples living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 64.6% were non-families. 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.82.

In the city the population was spread out with 9.0% under the age of 18, 58.6% from 18 to 24, 16.4% from 25 to 44, 9.9% from 45 to 64, and 6.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,217, and the median income for a family was $61,985 (these figures had risen to $29,885 and $81,941 respectively as of a 2007 estimate[13]). Males had a median income of $43,767 versus $30,556 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,333. About 11.0% of families and 34.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

East Lansing has a council-manager government, in which the city council appoints one of its members as mayor and another as mayor pro tem — a city council member with extra ceremonial duties who chairs council meetings in the mayor's absence. The city council consists of 5 at-large council members who are elected in non-partisan elections to 4-year terms in November of odd-numbered years. The city council chooses the city manager, the city's chief administrative officer. The manager is appointed by and answers to the council.

An important aspect of East Lansing's government is its system of commissions. The commission members are ordinary East Lansing citizens appointed by the city council and advised by members of the city staff. Commissions may propose or review policies in their bailiwicks and make recommendations to the council. Major East Lansing commissions and boards include those for Planning, Zoning, Housing, Transportation, and Parks and Recreation. Other commissions and boards that also involve active engagement of ordinary citizens play a role in East Lansing's governance.[14]

East Lansing Government founded the Technology Innovation Center, an incubator for technology start-ups.[15]

Michigan State University, a member of the Big Ten Conference, is the largest education institution in the State of Michigan (7th largest in the United States),[16] reflecting East Lansing's history as a college town. MSU has more than 200 programs of study including two in human medicine (M.D. and D.O.) and one veterinary medicine school (D.V.M.), a law school (J.D., L.L.M., and M.J.), and numerous Ph.D. programs. There is also a Master of Arts in Technology (MAET) program.[17]

This city is covered by the East Lansing Public Schoolsdistrict, which has an enrollment of just over 3,400 students in grades K-12. The district also includes small portions of neighboring Lansing, Lansing Township, and Meridian Township. The district consists of six elementary schools, one middle school (MacDonald Middle School), and East Lansing High School. One fifth of the district's students come from outside of East Lansing through Michigan's Schools of Choice program.

The Northern Tier Trail[20] is a shared-use pedestrian and bicycle path system connecting some parts of the northern half of the city; the Lansing River Trail begins on the campus of Michigan State University and extends west into downtown Lansing and then north towards the airport.

The city has several neighborhoods of detached, single-family houses within a mile of the Michigan State University campus.[22] Under a 2004 city zoning ordinance, several of those neighborhoods have used a petition process to establish zones that prohibit or severely restrict renting. The net size of the area where renting is prohibited has increased since 2004.[23]

East Lansing has a very large student population; in 2006 the city's population was about 45,931,[24] while the university's 2006-07 enrollment was 45,520. Granted, not all students enrolled live in East Lansing or on campus.[25]

Michigan State University has the reputation of having a very passionate fan base. Spartans followers have attracted notoriety with public celebrations that periodically erupt throughout the year. The celebrations are often associated with the men's basketball team's perennially deep runs in the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament, such as an incident in 1999 in which students and visitors rioted after a loss to Duke University in the NCAA Final Four. Although generally peaceful, the East Lansing police department has sometimes responded to those events with force, invoking emergency powers and hiring extra police from neighboring jurisdictions to clear streets.

From March 29 to April 2, 2006, East Lansing hosted the USA Hockey National Tournament. The age group that competed contained players from the U-14 Tier 2 division. States were represented with teams from Massachusetts, Michigan, Alaska, Nebraska, Florida, California, Connecticut, Indiana, New York,and Pennsylvania. In the end, The LA Hockey Club representing California won.

In 2007, the City of East Lansing celebrated its Centennial. The celebration began in January 2007 with a kick-off press conference at the Marriott Hotel in downtown East Lansing. Events throughout the year included an old fashion concert, a birthday party, and a historic homes tour. A fireworks show took place in August, along with many more events throughout the year. With Michigan State University's Sesquicentennial ice cream flavor such a huge success, the City of East Lansing contracted Melting Moments ice cream shop to develop a Centennial ice cream flavor. All downtown businesses were encouraged to take part in Centennial festivities. The Peoples Church on West Grand River Avenue also celebrated its 100th birthday in 2007.

Residents were asked to submit their favorite stories, pictures and memories on the Centennial website, which includes photographs dating back to the early 1900s. The website lists all Centennial events and includes a complete history of the city. Fun East Lansing facts can also be found, along with a list of famous East Lansing residents. Michigan State University and the City of East Lansing partnered on many of the events.

The 1963 elephant rampage occurred when a 12-year-old, 3,000-pound female dancing elephant named Rajje (alternately reported as Raji and Little Rajjee, among other variations) rebelled against her trainer during a performance in a shopping-center circus and escaped into the streets of Lansing, Michigan aggravated by the frenzied pursuit of nearly 4,000 local residents. The incident ended with the shooting of the elephant by local police.[26][27] Provoked by the growing crowd, Rajje's rampage took her through the men's wear, sporting goods and gift departments of a local Arlan's discount store before leading police on a two-mile chase in which she knocked down and injured a 67-year-old man, tried to move a car, and caused thousands of dollars in damage before being subdued.

Life Magazine quoted Rajje's trainer, William Pratt, as shouting at the scene, "Damn these people [...] They wouldn't leave her alone."[26]

The incident was widely reported, including a photospread in Life.[26] While the Lansing State Journal coverage stressed the danger of the incident,[28] the Detroit Free Press noted that witnesses cried out "Murderers! Murderers!" as police fired eight shots.[29]

Author Nelson Algren cites the injustice and sad end of the pursuit of "Raji, the Pixie-Eared Elephant" in continuity with the ambush of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in his introduction to a 1968 biography of the outlaws.[30] Then teenage Lansing residents who had goaded the elephant on recalled the incident with sober regret in a local newspaper retrospective in 2011.[28]

Sparty is the nickname of The Spartan, a large statue representing the MSU mascot, a Spartan warrior. "Sparty" is frequently used as a landmark when giving directions on campus.

The Rock is a large boulder, approximately five feet high, originally placed near Beaumont Tower by the Class of 1873, since relocated to a site northeast of the Farm Lane Bridge. It serves as a venue for student groups and is routinely graffitied by those groups.

The "Habitrail", or Hamster Cage, or Gerbil Cage, is a large multicolored parking structure near campus that resembles a Habitrail home for pet rodents. The controversial design resulted from the city's instructions to the architect that the building be "festive" and have "no brick".

Saper Galleries, an award-winning art gallery serving clients internationally since 1978 is in a contemporary gallery building in downtown East Lansing on Albert Avenue.[37]

Scene metrospace, the city sponsored art gallery located in the ground floor of the multicolored parking structure.

Lake Lansing is nearby and is approximately 500 acres (2 km²) in size. The lake has an outstanding beach, and is a summer favorite of swimmers, sunbathers, boaters and fishermen. The Lansing Sailing Club and Michigan State University Sailing Club[42] have facilities on Lake Lansing where sailing regattas are held throughout the summer months.

East Lansing Art Festival[47] is a juried art show held each spring on the weekend before Memorial Day. In 2009 it received a national ranking in the Art Fair Sourcebook[48] Top 200 for its fine art and craft sales. "With its 117th fine art ranking and 153rd fine craft ranking, the festival was included among a list of the top 200 best-selling art fairs and festivals in the country. These rankings are based on the festival’s gross average sales for 2009, which totaled $2,857 per artist exhibitor".[49]

Great Lakes Folk Festival[50] originated after The National Folk Festival, which made East Lansing its home for 3 years, moved to a new city for another 3 years. The festival is usually held during the last weekend of August.

The Michigan High School Boys State Basketball Championship[51] tournament is typically held at Michigan State University's Breslin Center each March.

The 2007 Odyssey of the Find World Finals[52] occurred at Michigan State University.

The 2009 Future Problem Solvers International Conference was held in East Lansing.[53]

The Children's Concert[54] held at East Lansing Hannah Community Center, is an annual series of live music geared for young audiences and their families.

The Crystal Awards[55] honors the extraordinary accomplishments of individuals, businesses and organizations that have impacted the quality of life in East Lansing.

The Summer Solstice Jazz Festival[56] is a two-day festival that salutes jazz music with local and national jazz performers and celebrates the longest day of the year.

The Summer Concert Series[57] features live local music each Friday and Saturday in Downtown East Lansing.

The Moonlight Film Festival[58] offers free movies on an outdoor big screen in Valley Court Park in downtown East Lansing.

One Book One Community[59] is a unique program that brings the city-university community together to read the same book and come together to discuss it in a variety of settings.

The Winter Bowl Soup & Chili Cook-off[60] combines holiday activities, musical entertainment, merchant activities and an old-fashioned soup and chili cook-off. The Festival is usually takes place at the Ann Street Plaza, Parking Lot 1 and the East Lansing Marriott.